DoNArTNeWs

Bonnie MacAllister, Members’ Choice Art Show @ The Plastic Club.  Bonnie MacAllister’s tiny mixed media, Revery, is subtle yet slyly glamorous with gold dust illuminating the feminine figure, the piece softy glowing in it’s own light.  Bonnie’s blog is very cool describing all the wonderful projects she’s working on; she’s a world traveler, grant winner and educator with a fine eye, thoughtful manner and socially conscious personality - a DoN must read!  Coming soon - Bonnie MacAllister, The Dressing Room, Green Light Arts, Philadelphia Live Arts Festival & Philly Fringe @ The Plastic Club, 247 S. Camac Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.  Show runs Sept. 3*, 4, 7, 10, 11, 14, and 17, 7 p.m. *followed by artist reception
Here is the link to tickets:
http://bonnie-macallister.blogspot.com/2011/07/play-dressing-room_31.html

This is the link to the press release:http://bonnie-macallister.blogspot.com/2011/07/play-dressing-room.html

BONNIE MacALLISTER: Play: The Dressing Room

Members’ Choice Art Show @ The Plastic Club.  Patricia Wilson-Schmid, Celebration, acrylic, Laura Pritchard, The Donors, batik on silk, Karen Frank, Strongman and Ballerina, mixed media, Theodore Amick, Jibber Jabber, watercolor and Bob Jackson, Mrs. Wildfowl and Tea, junk and stuff.

Sy Hakim,  Members’ Choice Art Show @ The Plastic Club.  Sy Hakim’s large landscape painting, Formations - Daylight, describes a beautiful yet challenging world, the small figure seems huddled against the power of the landscape, the outcroppings hang high above his head, a daunting climb but a great view from the top.

Members’ Choice Art Show @ The Plastic Club: Lois Schlachter, Guarding the Kingdom, giclee and Sixty, giclee, DoN Brewer, Iris of the Storm and Amy, Amy, Amy, digital photographs, archival ink prints and Mervyn Klein, Karate, collage.  Lois and DoN have been friends for years and Mervyn & DoN had a show together in the Downstairs Gallery earlier this year; the tones of this grouping are balanced and vibrant, there are tableau’s throughout the gallery where works speak to each other through color, technique and theme.  DoN priced his work at $4.3 trillion and $3.2 trillion respectively hoping to save the economy but the guide says NFS, oh well.

Bill Myers @ The Plastic Club.

Bill Myers photography is confounding yet simple; his Photoshop collages fool the eye when the artist mashes his own photography with found images, morphing the pictures into something different yet familiar.  Scary Scenario, photo collage, looks authentic with deep blacks and dark shadows but look closer and the foreground figure becomes impossible, the girl in the phone booth has two umbrellas, huh? - Bill Myers is good at that, that “huh?” moment.

Sy Hakim, The Cave-Night, oil, Members’ Choice Art Show @ The Plastic Club.

An art patroness becomes part of the art in the Shiekman Studio upstairs at the Plastic Club, her Summer dress extending the scene magically onto her person.  The art flanking Hakim’s painting is by Gail Zelikovsky, Rock Garden, painted silk and Rock Garden with Waterfall, painted silk.

Sy Hakim, The Cave-Night, oil, Members’ Choice Art Show @ The Plastic Club.

Sibylle-Maria Pfaffenbichler @ The Plastic Club’s Member’s Choice Art Show.  Sibylle-Maria Pfaffenbichler’s action paintings are not just fast in painting style like an abstract expressionist but the quickly painted figures are always moving, dancing, prancing - Ringa-Ringa-Reia, gouache & charcoal, is a joyful work of art.

Members’ Choice Art Show @ The Plastic Club.

Ted Gutswa,  Members’ Choice Art Show @ The Plastic Club.  Ted Gutswa’s charcoal drawings, Spring Mist & Sweeping Dream, explains all about what it means to be a member of the Plastic Club, simple materials, uninhibited application and beautiful presentation, raising the combined whole to a level higher than it’s minimalist components.  The Member’s Choice show at the Plastic Club represents each artist’s best work, the sum of it’s parts is elevated even more by the quality, style and variety of the work in proximity.  Downstairs Gallery at the Plastic Club is a lovely space featuring Kim Martin. Karl Olsen, Marion Loippo and Jane Wilkie; DoN will post some images and comments soon.

Photos by DoN.

Amy, Amy, Amy, DoN Brewer @ The Plastic Club

Hello my Little DoNsters, DoN is always surprised and amazed when he is invited to participate in an art event, the excitement and preparation is engrossing and involving attempting to produce objects worthy of being called art.  The Plastic Club always strikes a creative chord for DoN, with the upcoming Member’s Choice show for August creating an opportunity to show new work in a welcoming, inclusive group show of like-minded artists.  DoN submitted two new pieces, Iris of the Storm, a shot of the remnants of the tragic Mid-West tornadoes passing over Philadelphia that gave us green sunlight and scarey scudding clouds and Amy, Amy Amy, an abstract landscape photograph of a dim light glowing against a stuccoed wall layered with attempts to cover up graffiti tags.  DoN listened to Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black back to back on his iPod for months, the music incorporating all his favorite genres mashed together into fabulous pop, her passing a sad reminder to live for today.

Heliotrope, DoN Brewer @ Hopkins House Gallery.

DoN received an awesome invitation to exhibit at the prestigious Hopkins House Gallery on the beautiful Cooper River in Camden NJ.  DoN got the message from director Bruce Garrity through a Facebook instant message, he will be showing Abstract Landscape Photographs in an upstairs room in the historic space.  One of DoN’s first art shows (many moons ago) was at Hopkins House; to be able to curate his own space in a gallery is DoN’s dream come true.  The show opens Saturday, August 13th, DoN will post reception info soon.

The same day DoN received the Hopkins House confirmation he received this email, “Dear artist, If you are receiving this email, congratulations – you have had one, or more, pieces of artwork accepted into Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital’s 2011 Art Ability exhibition. The decisions were extremely difficult this year as the show has grown immensely from year to year. We had more than 300 artists send over 1,330 submissions! We have narrowed that down to the best of the best, and only accepted approx. 350 submissions from nearly 200 artists.

A formal acceptance package (noting which pieces were chosen) will arriving at your home via the U.S Post Office in the next week. The package will include all required forms, dates, information that you will need in preparation for the exhibit opening Nov. 5^th.  Thank you for sharing your work with us and for participating in our exhibit. Your participation makes this exhibit the largest of its kind in the nation.

Sincerely,

Heather

—————————————————-

Heather Zoumas-Lubeski

Director, Community Outreach & Special Events

Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital - Main Line Health

414 Paoli Pike

Malvern, PA 19355

(484) 596-5607 NEW

Zoumas-LubeskiH@mlhs.org

www.brynmawrrehab.org/artability

www.brynmawrrehab.org/cnb“

Cool, huh?  Although, this year’s acceptance into the final cut of the prestigious international art event is bitter sweet since best friend Arnie Segal has recently transmogrified into a light being.  Arnie’s magical sculptures and his endearing personality will be sorely missed at this year’s party.  Arnie Segal introduced DoN into the world of art opportunities for disabled people including the fabulous Art Ability show, Very Special Artists @ Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and ArtFirst @ Princeton University Medical Center.  DoN urges you to support the tremendous effort the team at Bryn Mawr Rehab puts into this expansive exhibit of art created by people facing personal challenges finding happiness, solace and a voice through the making of art.

light being (Lorraine & Charles), DoN Brewer @ Art Ability this Fall, 2011.  This image is an update to my original post, DoN received the info today and this is the image the jury choose; DoN is very happy from an artistic standpoint and emotionally because Aunt Lorraine and Uncle Charles loved DoN unconditionally (8/11/11).

Art by DoN.

Andy Warhol’s real last name was Warhola,  Banksy is a made-up name, Lady GaGa is made up, there are one name stars like Cher, Madonna, Christo - the idea is to build a brand, be memorable and stand out in a crowd.  P!nk uses an exclamation point as does famous Philly artist Burnell Yow! to make their name stand out.  DoN is attending seminars at the Corzo Center for the Creative Economy at the University of the Arts, on a cold early Spring evening, CO-COO of ZEROTO5IVE, Michelle Pujadas, an expert in business branding, lectured at length about famous brands and their imagery.  DoN worked up the nerve to show her his business card in front of the room full of art entrepreneurs, the card with the big red DoN and crown which the branding guru then critiqued at length.  She liked the big N in DoN because it looks different and quirky, big & red always works, she liked the crown a lot, a memorable image that creates links in the viewers mind but thought the mouse drawn crown should be simplified, she did not like the swirly pink background at all (DoN tried to explain the tie-in to his website but if you have to explain…start over) and she particularly critiqued the hand feel of the card, what DoN thought was slick and shiny Michelle Pujadas felt was slimy!  Slimy!  Her card has a memorable logo and lush, velvety touch with room to write personal notes.  Ink doesn’t even adhere to DoN’s old shiny/slimy cards.

DoN also learned that he was over-promising services on his business card; as a multimedia designer and artist it seemed important to list all of his skills including Flash, seo, video & reiki.  What DoN learned was that even though those activities are ones he enjoys doing, working with others on their ideas or problems isn’t always a satisfying experience.  DoN learned at the Corzo Center for the Creative Economy events to be able to express what he does as a business in the length of time it takes to ride an elevator.  So, with his new business card design, DoN highlights what he likes doing best - art, blogging, photography & web deign - if search engine optimization, Flash animation, producing video or healing pesky past life issues with reiki enters the conversation, cool.  If not, oh, well.

ZEROTO5IVE also recommended simplifying the color palette of the card, DoN eliminated the disco swirls and changed the font up a little, still his favorite Futura, a geometric sans-serif typeface designed in 1927 by Paul Renner, but now the D is a bit bigger, the o a bit smaller but the capital N remains capitalized, a favorite of the audience and the expert presenter, even people in the back row got it.  The crown in DoN’s new logo is now the W from the free font called IntellectaCrowns from www.dafont.com designed by Intellecta Design, a Brazilian type foundry interested in typographical research and revivals of all forms of ancient typefaces and handwriting styles.  It searches historical churches, museums and similar institutions to develop handwriting and other fonts from old documents. This kind of research is not common in Brazil. In addition, their design team also works to create new and modern typefaces for all applications.  DoN removed the Flash animation with the dizzying swirl and unexpected noises from his homepage, too.  DoN has people say to him all the time,”The Don with the big N, right”.  People also think DoN looks like Wille Nelson, but that’s another story.  A simple typo has turned into a moniker, logo and brand that folks remember, even if they think it’s a mistake.  The big N continued when DoN began writing this blog,  DoNArTNeWs - DoNBrewerMultimedia Reviews the Philadelphia Region Art Scene, now with over 60k hits per month, thank you, and the typo has become a meme.

Now, DoN’s card is still bold but simplified, the advice from the Corzo Center for the Creative Economy has helped DoN re-focus his energy and values on projects that re-invigorate, inspire and develop his brand - DoN with a capital N.  As a result of meeting entrepreneurs at the Corzo seminars DoN is now a Contributing Writer, providing exclusive content about the arts, to Philly.SideArts, an artist portfolio and arts opportunity website.  And it started with a typo.

Logo by DoNBrewerMultimedia.

Lois Schlachter,  @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011

Steve Iwanczuk @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.  That’s Steve reflected in the drawing on the right.

Lois & Steve have collaborated as the co-chairs of the Philadelphia Sketch Club’s Exhibition Committee for years, lately Lois is focused on her own art career, continuing to volunteer but now making new art, showing in galleries and entering competitions. Schlachter has had the unique experience of viewing virtually thousands of artworks submitted to the venerable art club’s competitions and exhibitions and now is creating her own memorable art, fractured planes, vibrant color, dreamy narratives like a mix of Charles Dumuth and Takashi Murakami.  Steve Iwanczuk teaches graphic design but his drawings are surreal and photographs technically exact, in this show he shows three sides of his persona, each piece strange and deep.

Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Mina Smith-Segal Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Deborah Ann S. Horsting @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne - Gift Shop!  Many of the artists brought prints, cards and posters to sell, Art Space’s lay-out is multi-purpose and really fun to wander through.  Art Space is a major component in the art vibe of Lansdowne, many of the locals came out to the show, the support of the neighbors is so important if art is the force communities use to stay vibrant and relevant.

Dorothy Roschen @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

 John Schmeichen @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Karen McDonnell & Anthony Cortosi @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne.  Karen & Anthony are collaborative by nature, often taking on responsibilities others don’t want to do ensuring art events can jump off.  The duo work together on their art, drawing and cutting stencils, spray-painting and decorating their canvasses until layers of memes, myths and memories are mashed-up like a DJ Shadow mix.

Rich Harrington @ Philadelphia Sketch Club Volunteer Art Exhibit @ Art Space, Lansdowne, 2011.

Volunteering is a good way to make friends, learn new things, experience different ideas and stretch social skills; sometimes it feels really good, sometimes it’s hard work but in the end people working towards a common goal, solving problems, creating opportunities, being selfless and inclusive is an art form unto itself.  Thank you so much to the Philadelphia Sketch Club and Art Space, DoN LoVeS seeing his work flanking Lois Schlachter and Steve Iwanczuk’s art, to be included in their company is an honor.  Not all the volunteers are represented in this blog post many other artists are in the expansive show, take the drive out to Lansdowne to see the show, support the volunteers and the view of the city on the drive back is spectacular, a fine reward.

Photos by DoN.

DoN Brewer @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club Art Show & Sale.

Being part of an art group and observing the social dynamics in the art world is as interesting as the art.  The recent artist receptions at the historic art clubs, The Plastic Club & The Philadelphia Sketch Club, drew crowds of artists to the Avenue of the Artists in Center City to celebrate the best of the best.  It is so much fun to be the fly on the wall when someone is looking at your work; having pieces in both shows was especially gratifying and when people observe to DoN they remember his photos from one show or the other show it feels so good to know they remember the images.  DoN entered his digital photograph from Da Vinci Art Alliance’s Envisioning the Decameron show titled Heliotrope in PSC’s art sale (the image will represent DoN’s work in the forthcoming DVAA 80th Anniversary art book), an abstract found architectural detail photo that confounds observers - it looks like a painting but it’s a photo, Heliotrope is a color but it’s also a magic stone that was thought to cure the plague.

Heliotrope, digital photo & print, DoN Brewer.

Meeting artists is as much fun as looking at the art and drinking wine: painter Garth Herrick and DoN chatted about how he exclusively does commissions now, Steve Iwanzuk PSC Exhibitions chair told a story about once putting Mark Zuckerberg in his place, Chick Kelly was dressed to the nines in a dashing hat, Karen McDonnell, the Queen of Hip Hop Grafitti, looked HoT! in black, Scott Affleck posed with DoN for photos since our work is hanging next to each other…it was a really good art day.

Panoramic view of the Philadelphia Sketch Club’s Members Art Show & Sale - that’s PSC President Bill Patterson in the middle, it was a wonderful moment when DoN saw Bill shaking hands with Mike Guinn, Plastic Club past president, at The Plastic Club’s Members Medals show, the two leaders are essential to the success of the historic art clubs.

The Philadelphia Sketch Club’s Members Art Show and Sale.

The Plastic Club’s Members Medals Show - center bottom row is DoN’s Rune, digital photo printed on matte paper.  DoN picked this photo to go after a prize because to him it represents painting, photography and printing all at once - even though the image is glossy, the paper is matte, creating an illusion.  Oh well, it’s great just to be nominated.  Congratulations to Lois Schlachter for winning the Gold Medal.

Panoramic shot of the Plastic Club Members Medals Exhibit - that’s artist Yeoun Lee in both ends of the photo!

Panoramic shot of the Plastic Club Members Medals Exhibit.

Upstairs at the Plastic Club.

Both art shows end this week, DoN recommends you find time to see these important art events because they represent some of the best of Philly’s contemporary artists and what they think is their best work.

Photos by DoN.

DoN is running this town just like a club!  Art clubs, that is - with fine art photography in open and juried art shows in five major art spaces in South Jersey & Philly.  The Art of the Flower show @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club is a juried competition with an enormous turnout of talented artists; DoN feels great relief that his decision to include an inkjet print photograph collage of Carnivourous Plants @ Bartram’s Garden has been recognized by the jurors to be included in the highly coveted show.

DoN Brewer, Carnivorous Plants @ Bartram’s Garden, digital photograph, Photoshop collage, inkjet print @ The Philadelphia Sketch Club’s annual Art of the Flower Exhibition, a blind juried competition of all types of art.

DoN helped install the Small Worlds show @ The Plastic Club; the team of volunteers hung over three hundred small images through out the old town house, each room, gallery and hall is filled with a myriad selection of art.  The tremendous trove of work is smooshed in but exhibitions chair Alan Klawans foresees a day when cuts will have to be made.  And, listen to DoN when he says - prepare your art properly for installation and rough handling, DoN had an artist’s piece literally come part in his hands and Plastic Club President Bob Jackson spent extra hours kindly adding wire to art submitted by artists, after spending two days logging art by hand in the log book and then hanging work on the walls Bob really doesn’t need to prepare your work for you.  Really, if they have to make cuts, the first to go will be poor presentation, artist Art Ostroff & DoN griped about the lost skills of presentation.  Ironically, DoN was a wire offender but took his work home to fix himself - if Bob Jackson wired your art for you to be in a huge show like Small Worlds, you owe him a big favor.  Speaking of favors, DoN doesn’t know who dropped out but he has five photographs included in the Downstairs Gallery @ The Plastic Club, a prestigious honor bestowed only on members in good standing.  DoN is presenting a group of abstract landscape photographs from his series, light beings,  several new images have been added to DoN’s on-line gallery.

DoN Brewer, Panama Street, digital photograph, Photoshop, inkjet print, 8 x 10″ @ The Plastic Club’s Small Worlds art extravaganza.

 The opening reception for Diverse Perspectives @ Da Vinci Art Alliance was super fun, DoN will write a separate review of the group show in South Philly.  The group that came together organically and easily, organized an art show that DoN is proud to be a part, truly diverse, artistic and eclectic - just like DoN!

DoN Brewer Photography @ Diverse Perspectives at Da Vinci Art Alliance Gallery, 704 Catharine Street, South Philly.  DoN will be hosting a discussion, Search Engine Optimization for Artists, Saturday, March 5th, 2011, 2 - 4:00 PM.

The Perkins Center for the Arts Photography 30 Show is almost over,  it has been such an honor to be included in the exclusive annual photography event.  The show is truly inspirational, aspirational & astounding - no kidding.  As photographer Bonnie Schorske said, “…it’s a feather in your cap!“  Thank you to Uncle Dave and Aunt Barbara, Cousin Carla & friends, Shoshka, Lola, Rob, Bonnie and all my friends & family who cheered me on and braved the snow to visit the beautiful mansion in Moorestown, NJ.  You got to tip on the tightrope!

DoN has a new piece on display @ Bonte’s, 9th & Walnut that is a departure from the abstraction he’s known for, a church lady hat store window titled South Street Chapeaux, a documentary still life composition that Shoshka will love.  The on-going show promoted by the Photographic Society of Philadelphia is a cool spot to show along with fellow photography enthusiasts; the PSoP events @ The Plastic Club are always informative, the recent talk by photographer Ed Snyder and graphic designer John Bacille about how to produce your own book was inspiring and a recent field trip to the Wistar Institute for the Nikon Small World show is exclusive and informative.

DoN Brewer, South Street Chapeaux @ Bonte’s Cafe, 9th & Walnut Streets.  Thank you so much to the good people at the Photographic Society of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Sketch Club, The Plastic Club and Da Vinci Art Alliance for providing the art opportunities, diverse creative outlets and intellectual peer support in the heart of the coolest city in the world.

Sneak peek -  Yeoun Lee and Bud Boehringer @ Diverse Perspectives, Da Vinci Art Alliance, February 25th - March 26th, 2011 - Reception: February 25th, 5 - 9:00PM

Diverse Perspectives @ Da Vinci Art Alliance: Bud Boehringer, DoN Brewer, Lorna Kent, Yeoun Lee, Marcy Morris, Lee Muslin, William Myers & Edna Santiago.

Opening this Friday, February 25th, 2011, 5 - 9:00PM @ 704 Catharine Street, Philadelphia.  The group show is the result of the tenacity and determination of a few artists determined to keep one of the few art spaces left where they can display their work open for the winter months.  DoN was invited by Da Vinci Art Director, Dave Foss without whose help this show would not have happened, to join the group after several artists could not help Bud Boehringer, who came through with the Benjamins commitment, to pull together a show.  Bud said he would do an installation by himself but it turns out there is such a demand for artists to get their work in public view that literally overnight the group grew to eight artists - and, guess what?  The show is fabulous with a series of events planned to bring visitors to the South Philly gem of a gallery including this weekends double receptions Friday and Sunday - free and open to the public.

DoN Brewer, Utter Blackness, digital photograph, inkjet print @ Diverse Perspectives.

DoN is exhibiting a new group of abstract landscape and architectural detail photographs; working to install the art with DVAA Director Dave Foss was not just an educational experience regarding the math of hanging a show but learning to see the thematic layout, abstract paintings with abstract photographs, representational work resonating with each other, a visual flow, he had it all laid out ready to install with the skill of a professional curator.  DoN had the rare experience of arranging his own work in an art gallery, a supremely satisfying experience, and helping to show the work of friends in their best light is transcendental.  But it’s nothing like the excitement DoN feels for Edna Santiago and Bill Myers for their brilliant introduction to the fabric of the art community known as Da Vinci Art Alliance, Friday night should prove to be joyful.

Edna Santiago, Art Adventure: Friday, March 4th, 4 - 8:00 PM - please visit the gallery and hear Edna’s inspirational story of the healing power of art and how she has channeled her energy into developing an art school for poor kids in a rural fishing village in Puerto Rico.

Saturday, March 5th, DoN will host a conversation, Search Engine Optimization for Artists, 2 - 4:00 PM; DoN will share tips, tactics and code to help your website be more search-able.

Like Da Vinci Art Alliance on Facebook to learn more about more DVAA Diverse Perspectives Events throughout March, 2011.

Photos by DoN.

Barbara Keough, Three Out of Four Ain’t Bad, mixed media @ Plastic Club New Members 2011 Art Exhibition.   The Plastic Club has 36 new members and a low attrition rate due to the warm, welcoming laid back vibe of one of the longest running art clubs in America.  The New Members show is exceptional in the wide variety of media from fiber arts to painting, drawing and photograph; you would think there would be a tipping point but the leadership of The Plastic Club is sensitive to the needs of artists and makes every effort to help them develop through leading workshops, critiques, Salons, and monthly exhibitions including the Downstairs Gallery (the subject of DoN’s next post on DoNArTNeWs).

Barbara Keough’s painting embodies the spirit of the new group joining the club, her painting is witty, fun, cheerful and beautiful - a small painting which lights up on it’s own especially in the newly refurbished Plastic Club Gallery.  And the number 42, of course, is the answer to the ultimate question posed in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.  The Plastic Club uses a unique numbering system which requires visitors to refer to a printed guide but also allows seeing the work for itself without being influenced by the cult of personality or reputation of the artist.

Chick Kelly @ Plastic Club New Members 2011 Art Exhibition.  Chick Kelly’s wonderfully ebullient and erudite character shines through his paintings combining contemplative color palette with stinging symbolism and strong story telling.

Maria Viataki, Dreams of Havertown, acrylic, Alexandra Pinero, Amaris Is Hazel, oil, & Burton Greenspan, Sun Lee, oil @ Plastic Club New Members 2011 Art Exhibition.  Doesn’t this look fabulous?

S.F. Pfaffenbichler, Rock I & Rock II, oil @  Plastic Club New Members 2011 Art Exhibition.

S.F. Pfaffenbichler @ Plastic Club New Members 2011 Art Exhibition.

Bob Jackson & Alan Klawans un-scrolled Sylia Pfaffenbichler’s action drawing from the Plastic Club’s on-going series of workshops called the Moving Model, the model slowly changes poses over a period of twenty minutes forcing the artist to quickly see and commit the image to paper, the results are evident in Pfaffenbichler’s great, joyful paintings of jazzy dancers.

Michael B. Tantaros, What, graphite & Yeoun Lee, Over the Rainbow, mixed media - DoN loves seeing these works together, the fine drawing is of Bill Myers, fellow photographer and Yeoun Lee who are both in the group multi-media art show Diverse Perspectives @ Da Vinci Art Alliance, reception February 25th, 2011, 5 - 9:00 PM, featuring the work of eight Da Vinci Art Alliance member artists.  DoN will be presenting Search Engine Optimization for Artists , Saturday, March 5th @ 2:00 PM, as part of the Diverse Perspectives exhibition running throughout March in the historic gallery in South Philly.

Past president Michael Guinn and current president Bob Jackson address the new members who have joined the Plastic Club, their leadership has improved participation exponentially and upgrades to the historic building are continuous - the back yard parties are infamous, too.

Jane J. Wilkie, Blue Sky, acrylic, Reta Sweeney, Snow on Stewart Lake, oil, Cara Kendric, Song of the Dawn, mixed media and Denise Romano Bright, Wisteria in Bloom, hand colored photo @ Plastic Club New Members 2011 Art Exhibition through February 25th, 2011.  Welcome to the New Members and thank you to The Plastic Club team for providing a venue for artists to grow and develop without feeling intimidated.

By the by, DoN has been updating the Album pages on the Plastic Club website, it’s a work in progress but the pictures will bring back many memories.

Michael B. Tantaros, Who, graphite @ Plastic Club New Members 2011 Art Exhibition; DoN is particularly drawn (no pun intended) to Tantaros‘ descriptive drawing and atmospheric naturalism.  The Plastic Club is famous for it’s inspiring workshops where artists can work with a live model for 3 hours really cheaply, an important factor in creating great art.

Don McPartland, Secession man, Weather Report & Free Range, mixed media @ Plastic Club New Members 2011 Art Exhibition.

Bill Myers, Dead Squirrel on My Bed, photograph & Robert Heiler, Winter’s Evening, watercolor @ Plastic Club New Members 2011 Art Exhibition.  Bill Myers surrealistic photographs will be on view at Da Vinci Art Alliance February 25th - March 26th, 2011.

Photos by DoN.

The snowy January afternoon of the reception for Photography 30 @ The Perkins Center for the Arts did not deter an avid crowd of photographers and collectors from crowding into the grand rooms and halls hung with a collection of photography gleaned from over 600 entries.  Eighty-three photographs were selected by juror Rick Wright composing a visual symphony of tone, content and clarity with swaths of crisp black and white prints then deliberate interstitial insertion of color. The photo in the center above is by Sarah Bloom literally drawing a crowd, the dramatic self portrait the punctum to Wright’s studium.  The halls are curated by Perkins Center’s Executive Director Alan Willoughby and Associate Curator Philip J. Carroll arrayed the galleries with a masterful curatorial eye for connecting symbolism, narrative and style with elegance befitting the architecture.

Richard Zanoni of Edgewater Park, NJ, The Off Season, digital photo and Brenda Kele of Montclair NJ, Untitled, pigment print @ Photography 30.

Tommy Graef, Who’s Afraid @ Photography 30, Perkins Center for the Arts annual photography competition and exhibition.

Click the thumbnail - DoN’s photo (far right)totally reads from across the grand staircase, yet surprisingly detailed and vivid in the lustrous light flooding through the high window.  Watching visitors examine the photo while sitting on the wide window sill will is a nexus point in DoN’s history as a photographer, a beautiful sweet moment of pride and redemption - like Niki Minaj sings,”...haters you can kill yo’self!“

Ron Brignae of Wilmington, DE, received a Jurors Award for his photo of frozen water and Neil Persh of Monroe Township, NJ, Model 7, inkjet print on exhibition fiber paper, of a dust encrusted typewriter is Dada for real.  Technical virtuosity combined with stream of consciousness story-telling is the hallmark of Photography 30 with a broad range of thought provoking images, techniques and presentation worth contemplating, emulating and imitating.

Alice Grabanier of  Branchberg, NJ, Voyeurism, pigment ink-jet print.

Mark D. Thellmann of Merchantville, NJ,  Ontario Gas Station, archival inkjet print of HDR photo.  Mark told DoN to Google HDR, high-dynamic-range imaging, a process which created an ethereal image impossibly rich with detail, earning him a well deserved award.

Fellow Da Vinci Art Alliance member artist, Ligia Richter of Wynnewood, PA, Izzy by the Window, black and white silver gelatin print.

DoN is grateful for the support of family and friends who braved the snow to celebrate the art show and the artists, it feels so good when an artistic risk like entering a show with slim odds pays off big time.

LoVe

DoN

light beings (Sid & Nancy), digital photograph, 2009, DoN Brewer @ The Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown, NJ.  The Photography 30 show is the cover story of the Weekend magazine section of the Philadelphia Inquirer!

DoN uploaded a new group of photographs from his “light being” series to DoNBrewerPhotography.com, click on the slide-show button in the top bar.

Today is a good day!

DoN